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Here and There

A few various things. Please feel free to comment/complain/whatever…

1. I know people were disappointed with the relative lack of action by the Cards at the deadline, and I’m with many of you that the Belliard deal didn’t make a lot of sense. But I’m getting tons and tons of emails from people who are livid that the team didn’t add a power bat or top-flight starter. So I ask you — tell me a move that you would have made, that WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED. Washington apparently got some huge offers, and didn’t move Soriano. Florida simply didn’t want to deal Willis. And so on. I’m just not convinced that in this particular case, the possibilities were there.

2. Brett Myers just came to bat. He wasn’t booed. I have to admit, I was disappointed by the lack of reaction. It’s hard for me to imagine why somebody would boo Jason Isringhausen and not Brett Myers.

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I might be in the minority, but I don’t think there was much more that Walt could’ve (or should’ve) realistically done. I’m not particularly happy with what they ended up with, or the way they’re playing, but the team shouldn’t totally sacrifice its future for a short-term gain that won’t result in a World Series win.

Ownership deserves criticism, but it’s light years better than the end of the A-B reign.

I just don’t think there’s any need to boo Myers. What he did was terrible, no question. But does he need to hear he’s ******* he is in every town he pitches in now? Let the man forget do his job and let’s the courts handle it. I’d hope he already realizes what a wrong and terrible thing he did.

I’m going to have to go with Kevin on this one. I don’t think there was much Walt was going to be able to do, without packing on way too much salary. I just didn’t see any good players available. With so many teams still in the hunt there just weren’t enough available players.

I will be very curious to see what happens during waiver time. I’m guessing that as a few more teams get knocked out there might be one or two good players out there who are available. With any luck, one of them could land here. I also hope that whoever might be out there, that one if them is a pitcher. The offense has it moments, but they still seem to score 4 to 6 runs a night. We need a pitching staff that doesn’t get shelled so much.

My question for you Matthew, is assuming we are in the playoffs and Mulder is back to pitching the way he can, who should be in the rotation besides he and Carp? Might want to make that one of your seven next questions.

A comment and a question:
Last night, after the first home run, Weaver looked like a sick kid. Never saw a pitcher look so sorry for themself. No way the guys behind him could do their job.

Question:

Has anybody ever checked Rolen’s throws to first on radar? His throws from flat on his keister or knees or whatever look harder than most guys “real” throws. I called out and asked him one day couple of years ago down at Vero Beach before Dodger Spring Training game. He was maybe 20 yds away, walking with someone. He just smiled and walked on. A guy who sits behind me at Jupiter told me he played golf one day with Mike Schmidt, and Mike told him Scotty was the best third baseman he had ever seen. Schmidt has to be an expert.

I agree that there was not much more the Cards could have done and the Belliard deal is puzzling.

Pitching wins championships and the Cards need to improve drastically in this area to have a realistic chance to go deep in the postseason this year. Weaver is another reclamation project that is not working out. Should Sosa be able to bolster the bullpen significantly, I would place Wainright into the starting rotation. He has more experience than Reyes and I think the future is now, especially with the shortage of quality starts of late.

Whoever wins the World Series will win because they have reliable pitching. The Cards were playing good offensive baseball early on but it’s hard to win when your starters and pen are giving up so many runs per game. I’d be nice to see some money spent on top notch pitching and watch the hitters respond.

I followed the Cardinals everyday via internet during the whole winter. I was very disapointed on the lack of progress the Cardinals took during the winter. You do not replace a Grudzielanek with a Miles or a Sanders with a Taguchi. Granted the Cardinals have signed Belliard, but maybe a bit too late. Instead of the Cardinals shopping for players maybe they should have been in the sellar market and build on their farm system. The Cardinals may skim by and win their division, but I don’t think they will get any further past the 1st round. It is a weak division. To prove it look at what they did against the American League

I think that might be realistic, except for one thing — it’s the opposite of what AZ is trying to do. They’re looking to unload their veterans (Green, Gonzalez perhaps, etc.) in order to make room for all their ridiculously talented young players like Young.

You know, we could have gotten another starting pitcher, which we desperately need. Just like every other pitcher, they would start out strong, and after a few weeks they would join the ranks of the inefficient Cardinal pitchers. Does any one else see a pattern here? What we really need is a new pitching coach, not new pitchers. Our pitchers are potentially good, until Dave Duncan gets to them and changes them. If every pitcher becomes a disappointment, maybe it’s not the pitchers. Yes, we need a new pitching coach.

I tend to agree that there wasn’t much the birds could do at the trade deadline given their needs and the talent available, BUT….they really need to concentrate on getting some quality pitching help at the end of the year. Marquis, Suppan, Weaver should not be brought back. Their average ERA is over 6, which is unacceptable in the big leages.

I am beginning to wonder if the LaRussa/Duncan marriage shoud be broken up.

I agree that they’re trying to get rid of they’re veterens, but they have little pitching in their farm system (or MLB level outside of Webb), and are loaded with propsects. I figured with them moving Upton to CF Young might be expendable for a top Pitching prospect, and 2 or so B level pitching prospects. Maybe a toss in of Anderson as I don’t think they’re strong at that position.

Washington wanted too much. Milwaukee would not trade Lee within their own division. And there are no pitchers to be had. So why make a trade simply to make one. Belliard for Luna was not a good trade. Fact is the Cardinals brain trust didn’t realize the ramifications of letting Grudzielanek go. Last year we had the best defense in our division. This year we are unsteady at best.

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